Atlantic City Sub or Philadelphia Hoagie: Which Is Better?

Our listeners and readers answered the compelling question … “Atlantic City Subs or Philadelphia Hoagies” - which are better?

I was absolutely delighted by the significant number of people who responded to our informal survey.

No doubt, they are very passionate about their favorite.

Many expressed how important the bread is. For the classic Atlantic City sub (or, submarine), it’s served on either Formica - Freitag or Rando Italian Bread or sub rolls.

The classic Philadelphia Hoagie is served on a softer roll, such as Amoroso’s 12 inch Philadelphia Hearth-Sliced Hoagie Rolls.

The Beatles to Frank Sinatra and so many have enjoyed Atlantic City subs over decades.

Here are towels used by Frank Sinatra during his final Atlantic City performance ever (see below).

They are displayed in The White House Sub Shop.

The best story-tellers about which is better, are our reader - listeners, who did not hold back in the opinions about Atlantic City Subs or Philadelphia Hoagies.

Below, we will include more than 75 reader-listener comments that we received in less than 10 hours … in the order that they were received as follows;

Michele Masterman - “Atlantic City subs hands down.”

Karen L. Rowan Sheffel - “Atlantic City Subs are the BEST!”

Ronnie Faisst Sr. - “Subs are the best.”

Gail Santa Maria Layton - “Atlantic City subs. No contest.”

Bill Butler - “Being from Philadelphia I have to stay loyal to my hometown, although a south Jersey sub is a winner I still miss an Italian Hoagie with oil and peppers from my neighborhood shop "Hoagie Joe's" long gone but if you had one I think you will agree.“

Bill Dougherty - “Harry, you know the answer to that !!!! AC hands down!!!”

Ben Mount Ill - “It's hard to beat anything on a Formica Brothers roll ... AC all the way!”

Joe Dj-sparkles Nickels - “AC Subs…. Hoagies Are For Shoobies!”

Jeannie Medinger Tate - “Since I am from Cherry Hill originally, I must say Philadelphia hoagies are better. That said, I also enjoy the sub life down here.”

Heidi Grutzmacher - “I'm Philly born. White House are the best!”

LaRissa Cronick - “Nothing beats AC subs...you can save the hoagies for Wawa.”

John Coggins - “I'll go with a hoagie every time, UNLESS, it's an Italian sub from Pete's Subs in EHT. Much better than White House, Vic's, Sacco, Sugar Hill and all the rest.”

Kim Charlton - “Dino in eht and sugar hill are best.”

Stanley Thiamegos - “Harry, This is the place where the best subs in New Jersey are created.” (See photo below, which represents Stanley’s answer).

Esther Kaplan - “AC subs!!!”

Mary Ann Devine - “Atlantic City subs. We have AC bakery and Rando's bakery rolls. The best for subs!”

Cindy Merrifield - “AC subs hands down!”

Richard Santoro - “Not even a contest, the AC subs made with Rando/Formica bread are a knockout punch for the competition.”

Katie Hurley Hanlin - “AC subs!! No doubt about it. No where can beat our bread.”

My good friend, Jeff Katz, is Joe living and working in Virginia. However, Jeff also worked and lived in both Atlantic City and Philadelphia.

Jeff wrote-in to us:

”Hoagies...that is all!”

But, that wasn’t all … Jeff followed-up with, “It's the Amoroso rolls.”

Our heartiest Congratulations to Jeff Katz, who was just named by Talkers Magazine as the 50th Most Important Radio Talk Show Host in America.

John Carman - “I've eaten more of both than I should have, but my vote goes to the AC subs.”

William J Penman Jr - “AC subs by a wide margin.”

Carmella Marcheski - “AC subs!!! Of course.”

Les Salzman - “Like that's a question?”

Mike Bell - “I grew up in Ventnor and have lived in Michigan, Northern NJ and currently in PA for the last 30 years. I have been asked to pick up subs to bring back home on numerous occasions, but have never had a request to bring a hoagie to the Atlantic City area. End of story.”

Roger Gros - “No comparison. But each city will stand up for its own. Remember what happened when Pats Steaks tried to invade AC?”

Rick Hitchen - “I like both types of Subs.”

Jim Schilling - “VICK'S Subs In Abescon Are Great.”

C Justamom Searle - “Petes subs!”

Steve Samuels - “Nothing beats the bread in AC, from either Rando or Formica.”

Rodger Gottlieb - “Not even close. AC subs by a mile. Starts with the bread. Formica and Rando's bread is light years better. As for cheesesteaks?Putting cheese whiz on a cheesesteak is an automatic disqualiflier.”

Frank Brennan - “AC "Regular Sub" hands down!”

Heather Higbee - “Sub.”

Scott Heath - “Philly Cheese Steaks are a Dime a Dozen.”

Dorothy Higgins - “This is so subjective...but my favorite is an AC Sub. That doesn't mean I wouldn't mind Nick's roast beef...if I was in the area....WHITE HOUSE SUBS the BEST IN THE WORLD.”

Roger Howell - “AC subs, best bread, Chicos, White House, Voltacos before they closed... Dinos in Margate…..good stuff.”

Charlotte Zappile - “philly hoagies!”

Lauren Lauriello Hurley - “AC Subs!!”

Sharon lanoale - “I Love our subs around here especially Pete's in EHT, perfection! That said, I also love Dinics roast beef in Reading Terminal, can't go to Philly without stopping!”

Michael Dangelo - “Ac subs.”

Patty Wristbridge - “It's all about AC Bread!”

MaryAnn Moscato Butler - “I'm not a fan of the AC bread. Too hard!”

Mickey Persiano - “A C subs bye far.”

Lou Cullen - “We, in Florida would give almost anything for a White House SUB.”

William Lanza - “White House is my only AC favorite. All others are a distant second.”

Paul Merlino - “Philly hoagies are a novelty you make your friends eat with whiz before you come home to any number if great SUB shops for the real deal. You know I'm partial to White House!”

Jill Ann Perry-Zaborowski - “It's called White House subs, Dino's subs, Saco Subs...all about the AC bread.”

Leo Yeager - “Ridiculous question.”

Bruce Silver - “I order Whitehouse from Goldbelly. They're a little far to pick up a sack.” NOTE: My longtime friend, Bruce Silver lives and operates his amazing, world-class caliber racing car business in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Carl Wentzell - “Depends.... Italian subs from Pete's, White House, Sack-O's, Vic's or Dino's are better than any Italian hoagie I've had in Philly. Cheesesteaks from the above are good also. I don't like Philly cheesesteaks with cheese whiz. The best hoagies in Philadelphia aren't cheesesteaks but rather roast pork hoagies like the ones from John's Roast Pork in South Philly near the IKEA!”

Jo Ann Daly - “AC Subs, in fact a friend was talking about how Philly uses Velveta and AC uses legit provolone.”

Dawn Fineran Rossi - “AC subs, white house. Also Pete's Subs.”

Pete DaPrato - “My Birthplace in 1964 !!!! AC Subs!!!!”

Arthur C Roesch - “I usually go to Sacco's for subs or Vic's in Absecon.Growing up in western Galloway my father would choose either Schieder's Sub shop in Egg Harbor City on the corner of Philadelphia Avenue and Campe Street or a shop near Blueberry Hill campground inPort Republic. The worst sub I ever had was in a sizable shop outside of Great Barrington, Massachusetts. I guess it's true when they say there is nothing better than sub rolls made in Atlantic City.”

Karen Taylor - Wrote back to Arthur C Roesch, saying “it was the old Port Deli. They had the best, something about the way they shredded the lettuce I guess.”

Juliet Monfardini McDevitt - “It's all about the AC bread.”

Terri Bruenning Hudson - “Hoagies... Phil & Jim's in Brookhaven PA.”

Karen Hurley McDonald - “No comparison! AC!”

Lou Patermo - “AC subs.”

Bruce Garrison - “AC subs are better, Philly has a few places that make a decent sub. To me though the closer you get to the shore the better the subs get.”

Yogi Hiltner - “The bread..no brainer.” This is Yogi’s homage to the Atlantic City sub roll.

William Feyl - “Ac style with provolone and Philly with cheese whiz.”

Cathy Bubeck - “Atlantic city subs!”

Michael S Finnerty - “AC bread is in a league of its own, the Italian on either a Formica or Rando sub roll is perfect. Philly does a good cheesesteak on the seeded roll, I like the chopped steak with copper sharp cheese. John's roast pork is on another level with the cheesesteak. But again, always go back to the AC bread!”

And, last, but certainly not least … the always lovely and elegant Margie Hurley, who wrote:

“The greatest and the best! AC subs are the best, just ask the folks that come from Philly, and can't wait to get one here! It's the water that makes the best bread, The from Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer.”